COVID-19 Media Impact Map for Canada: Red Deer Advocate
According to the union:
“A grievance was launched as they did not receive severance, vacation owed, or notice. They are able to keep their benefits. A worksharing program for all six reporters in editorial was agreed to. The reporters saw their hours reduced to 25 hours per week from normal 37.5. Reporters can receive an EI top-up for the lost hours, which is 55% of they regular earning for those 12.5 hours they would normally have. A worksharing program for three people in Circulation. Same rules apply as in Editorial, except their hours have not been reduced as much. They are going from 37.5 hours to 32.5 hours. They can apply for the EI top up, same as Editorial. In both cases either party, union members or company, can withdraw from the program at any time. Initial program is to run for 26 weeks and can be extended. Both worksharing groups are keeping their benefits.”
This post is part of the COVID-19 Media Impact Map for Canada, a joint initiative of J-Source, the Local News Research Project at Ryerson University and the Canadian Association of Journalists. The map will be regularly updated. If you have any additional information about known changes or have knowledge of a new impact, please contact us at info@j-source.ca or fill in details using the form COVID-19: Impacts on media in Canada.
